TDLWFJ 07

Chapter 7

An Hari—the daughter of Ahn Jung-ho, Chief Censor of the Office of Censors, and teacher to King Lee Gwang of Joseon.

Woon had repeatedly asked his brother why she rejected him, but that day, he received no answer.

Afterward, he looked into Hari and had been quietly observing her ever since.

He couldn’t help but be interested.

Marriage was one of the greatest rites of humanity—the very foundation of Joseon.

So naturally, a woman who rejected it drew his attention.

“You even know my name?”

Hari’s round eyes widened, and her lips curved upward.

I really am famous!

Once she resolved Nahee’s marriage annulment case, she’d become the top legal advocate in Hanyang.

“Of course I do.”

A cold woman who had rejected him without hesitation.

Yet unlike what he had imagined, Hari had a soft, rounded appearance and smiled easily.

Perhaps that was why—

At first, it was mere curiosity. Now, it had become genuine intrigue.

Why does she dislike me?

Since he was hiding his identity as the owner of Punguibang, he couldn’t ask her outright, which frustrated him.

At that moment, Hari spoke.

“May I ask the name of the master of Punguibang?”

“Ah…”

Woon hesitated.

He was curious—how she would react if she found out he was the man she had rejected.

She’ll find out eventually anyway… should I just tell her the truth?

But the impulse passed quickly.

He couldn’t let idle curiosity interfere with greater matters.

At the same time, he didn’t want to give a false name to someone he had nearly formed a marriage bond with.

And given that fate had brought them together like this, perhaps it wasn’t entirely without meaning.

Few people knew his real name, so the chances of Hari recognizing it were slim.

“My name is Lee Woon.”

At the sudden revelation of his true name, Chilbok and Siyoung stiffened.

Hari reacted the same way.

Did she recognize me?

For a fleeting moment, Woon’s eyes flickered with a mix of anticipation and unease.

“Your name…”

“Why? Does it match someone you know?”

It did sound oddly familiar—but she couldn’t quite place it.

Why does this feel unsettling? Eh, it’s probably nothing.

If he had been an important character in Grudges and Bonds, she would have remembered.

So this man must just be a minor figure—like herself—in that world.

Shaking off the strange feeling, Hari continued.

“Now that introductions are done, I’ll make my request.”

“Go ahead.”

Woon straightened his posture. His sharp gaze gleamed with focus.

“I’d like you to find someone.”

He tapped the table lightly with his finger, thinking for a moment before asking:

“Who?”

“Yang Heoyeong—a matchmaker who worked in Bukchon four years ago.”

“Why are you looking for her?”

“Do I have to tell you that as well?”

“If it’s nothing shameful, there’s no reason you can’t. Punguibang does not pursue people without cause.”

Though Punguibang was known to take on any job for money, it still had principles.

They did not take on tasks that would harm others.

The same applied to finding people.

What if the person being sought was a tenant farmer who had fled an abusive landlord?

A woman who ran away to avoid being sold?

Or someone hiding to avoid being taken as a hostage by Qing?

No matter how much money was offered—they would not help find them.

That was why they had to know the reason.

Hari looked straight at Woon.

Her eyes seemed to ask, Do you really need to know?

Woon calmly met her gaze and nodded.

After a moment, Hari sighed.

“I’d like the others to leave.”

“Miss, no!”

Maldong, who had been silent until now, quickly made an X with her fingers.

“Why not?”

Hari turned, mouthing the question, and Maldong leaned in to whisper:

“Haven’t you heard? Men and women over seven shouldn’t sit together alone. It’ll ruin your marriage prospects.”

Hari had long given up on marriage, but Maldong still clung to the idea.

“Don’t worry. He’s not my type.”

Woon, who had been about to take a sip of tea, paused.

Unfortunately, his hearing was sharp enough to catch their whispered conversation perfectly.

“Miss, that’s not the issue—”

“Don’t worry about that either. I doubt he’s interested in me anyway.”

Is that so?

Woon subtly curved his lips as he drank his tea.

“I’m concerned about rumors,” Maldong insisted.

At that point, Woon finally interjected.

“If that’s your concern, you needn’t worry.”

Hari’s eyes widened—she’d been caught.

Like a rabbit, Woon thought briefly, before continuing.

“As long as Miss Ahn does not speak of this elsewhere, Punguibang will never reveal what happens here. We are known for taking secrets to the grave.”

Though, admittedly, they hadn’t reached the grave yet.

Maldong pursed her lips, then quietly stepped back.

Thinking about it, she had heard that Punguibang handled all sorts of tasks—but never anything specific.

“Leave us.”

Unlike Maldong, Chilbok and Siyoung said nothing. They simply stepped out and closed the paper door behind them.

Their footsteps gradually faded away.

The two left in the room waited in silence, sipping their tea until the others were completely gone.

The tea was rich and deeply brewed.

Now that she thought about it, everything in the room—and everything the man wore—was of great value.

But did that make her think less of him?

Not at all.

If anything, it made her trust his abilities more.

It’s not easy to make money out of other people’s pockets.

She had come to the right place.

“From this point on, everything I say must remain known only to you.”

“At least allow Chilbok and Siyoung to know.”

“…Pardon?”

“The older man with the small mole near his temple is Chilbok. The one standing like a shadow beside me with a sword is Siyoung. They assist me.”

“I see… that’s reasonable. Then I’ll continue.”

Woon set down his teacup and listened intently.

At times, he sighed softly. At others, he stopped her mid-sentence, deep in thought.

“…And that is why I want to find Yang Heoyeong. Can you do it?”

“I can find her in four days.”

“…Four days? That fast?”

“Isn’t faster better? Why are you so surprised?”

“It’s just… quicker than I expected.”

“Because I’m capable?”

Hari let out a small laugh at his confidence.

She usually disliked boastful people—but somehow, it didn’t bother her when Woon did it.

If anything, it was… charming.

Perhaps because it didn’t feel like empty bragging, nor an attempt to intimidate.

He was nothing like the pot-bellied senior partners she had dealt with as a lawyer in her previous life.

How old is he, anyway?

Suppressing her curiosity, Hari refocused.

“We’ll see when the results come. I’d appreciate it if you find her quickly. Time is critical.”

No matter how careful one was, intangible things like rumors would eventually leak.

Without a solid form, they could slip through even the smallest cracks.

Which meant she had to act fast—

Before the Choi household discovered Nahee’s intentions and prepared a counterattack.

“How much should I pay for the request?”

Punguibang didn’t have fixed fees.

They adjusted depending on the situation.

And since this case wouldn’t end with simply finding someone, it wasn’t easy to set a price right away.

So Woon asked:

“How much do you charge as a legal advocate?”

“Five nyang upfront. The success fee depends on the outcome.”

“Then let’s do this. No upfront fee. Instead, if you win Madam Kim’s case, I’ll take half of your success fee.”

“No.”

“Why? Not confident?”

“Of course not. I’ll definitely win. But the amount I’ll receive will be far too large to split in half.”

Hari smiled faintly.

The compensation from this case would shock everyone.

“Then let’s consider this request withdrawn.”

“…What?”

“Unless you answer a few of my questions.”

Hari assumed he meant legal consultation.

What else would someone ask a legal advocate?

Running a place like Punguibang meant constantly walking the line between legal and illegal—legal advice was essential.

If it meant reducing the fee, she didn’t mind offering consultation for free.

“Go ahead.”

“Why do you do this? Do you truly intend never to marry?”

Instead of discussing the job—

The man showed interest in her.

It was completely unexpected.